Know your breaking point before your peak does
Peak traffic finds the weakest query or connection pool. We model realistic load, find the bottlenecks and re-test until the target holds.
The whole story, short
The problem
The site slows or fails at peak sale traffic.
What we did
- Model realistic load
- Script the load tests
- Analyze bottlenecks
- Run stress and soak tests
- Re-test after fixes
The outcome
Breaking point found before peak
What goes wrong
- The site slows or fails at peak sale traffic.
- One unindexed query or exhausted connection pool takes everything down.
- Slow third-party calls block checkout.
- Memory leaks appear only after hours of load.
Why the usual fix falls short
Simple load scripts that hit one URL miss real user journeys. Without a stress and soak test, you do not know your safety margin.
How we tested it
Model realistic load
Use analytics and traffic logs to model user journeys, arrival rates and basket sizes.
Script the load tests
Build scripts for the main journeys, using test accounts and realistic data volumes.
Analyze bottlenecks
Trace slowdowns across the database, APIs and infrastructure.
Run stress and soak tests
Push past the target to find the breaking point, and run long tests to expose slow leaks.
Re-test after fixes
Repeat identical tests after each fix to measure its effect, then run a full rehearsal before the peak.
Questions buyers ask
What is the difference between load and stress testing?
Load testing checks how a system behaves at the traffic you expect, including peak. Stress testing goes beyond that to find the breaking point and how the system fails and recovers. Most teams need both: one confirms readiness, and the other shows the remaining safety margin.
Should we use k6 or JMeter?
Both are capable. k6 uses JavaScript scripts and fits code-based, CI-driven workflows. JMeter has a graphical interface, broad protocol support, and a long-established plugin ecosystem. Choose according to your team's skills, the protocols you need, and how the tests will run, since no tool suits every project.
When should load testing happen before a launch?
Run it early enough to fix what it finds, because bottlenecks can require database or architecture changes. Weeks before a major event is safer than days. Then re-test after fixes and close to the event, using an environment and data volumes as similar to production as possible.